World Cup: FIFA's Answer To Tim Donaghy

Ok let me get this out of the way for all the soccer haters that do not want to deal with the injustice that took place Friday in South Africa.  Here it goes, the US team came out flat and were bad for most of the first half and dug themselves a 2-nil hole.  Ok haters you happy now?!  Next item of business they then dominated Slovenia scoring THREE unanswered goals to get the 3pts.  However, it really didn't work that way instead they were awarded just two of the goals and settled for a 2-2 tie. 

Why?  Well referee Koman Couilibaly, who probably has a Swiss Bank account, waved off the third American goal, which was scored by Maurice Edu.  What for you may ask?  No one knows because apparently David Stern runs FIFA too.  They refused comment about the play.  Speculation is offside was called on Michael Bradley or Edu was called for a foul on the shot.  Replay shows neither and actually showed FIVE Slovenia defenders putting WWE moves on the US attackers.  I know it is part of the game especially in international competition.  However, this is not some regular season ACC game that Karl Hess ruined.  This is an event that happens every 4 years.  So if team USA does not get into the next round this could be there 1972 Olympic Basketball moment. 

Ok, controversy aside this game was a helluva lot more entertaining than the U-S Open and Game 7 of the NBA Finals.  I could care less what the TV ratings say both were so poorly played throughout it made the "LOST" Finale look good.  I guess we can blame the golf on the USGA because that is what the golfers usually do. (Also, let's get this out of the way, Tiger Woods was a better golf when he was sleeping around)  However, the NBA is another story, face it if the two teams playing were not named Celtics/Lakers the game would have been universally ripped as one of the biggest letdowns of all-time.  It was BAD basketball on the Biggest Stage.  Save me your Defense defense!  How ugly was it?  It made me yearn for the great Detroit and San Antonio finals of 2005. Even Jeff Van Gundy said it was bad offense and he would know because he made a living coaching bad offense. 

Ok back to the World Cup..Off the pitch things have been entertaining too.  The disappointment of the highly touted England Team and of course the French Surrendering...again!  However, they did go back to work on Monday and good idea since they can still actually advance to the round of 16.  France plays South Africa on Tuesday and must win and needs help. If Mexico and Uruguay draw the other Group A match, France will be eliminated. Could you imagine if Team USA pulled this crap?!  The headlines would scream, "Ugly American's" all across the world and for our friends in England, really?  This is what you guys were all drunk over?  A draw with the little Old United States and Algeria?  One Goal in two games? I mean if it was not for BP this group would be the most hated guys from England since the Red Coats.

WTF: Vinny Back at Redskins Park!

Some of the all-time greats in franchise history convened at Redskins Park Thursday and somehow Vinny Cerrato snuck in.  I mean who the hell is in charge of security?  This is the biggest gate crashing scandal in DC since the Salahi's got into the White House dinner.  WTF is Vinny doing anywhere near the park?  Did he and Danny have a racquet ball game later in the day?  Were Trung Candidate, Brandon Lloyd, and Adam Archuelleta also invited?  I mean Cerrato is so unpopular among Redskin fans Albert Haynesworth could beat him in a popularity contest.  Of course Vinny was the guy that armed Fat Albert with the big contract.  So it was amusing to read his thoughts on the Fat Albert Saga. 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/albert-haynesworth/cerrato-haynesworth-would-like.html

Washington Post Redskins Reporter Jason Reid got some good stuff from Vinny on the man he overpaid. 

"When he signed, he said he wanted to prove everybody wrong," said Cerrato, the team's executive vice president of football operations during the 2008-09 seasons. "He said he wanted to show everybody that it's not about the money. He said he wanted to be the best that ever played. He said he wanted to be like Reggie White. He said Reggie White was his hero, so live up to what you said. Don't have it change just because a coach changed."

Albert probably also told Vinny he didn't like strip clubs. There is more from Vinny on Fat Albert.
 
"To me, he signed with the Washington Redskins and not the 4-3 defense when he signed that contract," Cerrato said. "He's got to be concerned about team, you know? There's no 'I' in team. He needs to quit thinking about himself and worry about the team and how he can help these guys, you know?"

I like what he said even with the cheesy no "I" in team reference.  However, the quote is meaningless because again Vinny has ZERO credibility not only with Redskins Fans, but in the NFL. 

One of the actual Greats at the event was former Head Hog George Starke, who told Washington Post's Dan Steinberg  what he thought about the new approach at the park.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/06/george_starke_on_bruce_allen_a.html

"The first thing it means is that the change in the administration from Cerrato to Bruce Allen is a good thing for the Washington Redskins, because Vinny didn't like us around," said legendary Hog George Starke. "He didn't like former Redskins. He wasn't part of this family. And as a result of that, the Redskins never went anywhere. You know, [most] of these guys out there on that field have never been in the playoffs. On this side, you've got guys here with four rings.



"And so Bruce, when he came in, the first thing he did was he called Brig Owens up, he called me up, he said the Redskins will never be successful as an organization unless we all come together. He's absolutely right. He says 'I want everybody to come out, I want you to come out all the time, I want you to be part of the deal, otherwise this team won't be successful.'

"And that's absolutely right. And that's what he did, so that's why we're here.....Whereas the Vinny guy was the exact opposite. He wanted to do it himself and he didn't know how to do it....

You know Starke is not the only former Redskin to feel this way, which begs the question, WTF was Vinny doing there?  It has been a well run off-season for the Redskins with the hire of Mike Shanahan, trade for Donovan McNabb, and drafting of Trent Williams.  So I will give the Skins a pass on the security breach and assume there was a racquet ball game to played.

World Cup Buzz: Tim Howard=George Washington

The 2010 World Cup is off and running and the USA fans are fired up over the team's 1-1 win   tie with England and why not.  The English were supposed to beat down the United States and early on it looked like that would be the case.  However, much like a big matchup between the two countries in 1776 one man changed the outcome.  United States Goalkeeper Tim Howard made incredible save after save keeping the U-S in the match and Clint Dempsey did something more players need to do when given space, shoot the DAMN BALL!  Sure England's Goalie Robert Green bobbled it or was it the juiced Adidas ball that bounced funny, who cares Goal Team USA. However, the goal would have been a side bar had Howard not played so heroically (bruised ribs and all) to keep his team in the game.  Meanwhile, his English counterpart Green has already begun the process of defecting to the United States after the World Cup. 

For all the soccer haters and there are plenty in this country just shut up and turn on NFL network and watch guys run around in shorts and helmets at OTA's. Leave the soccer and World Cup fans alone to bask in their every 4 year glory.  I understand you are tired of all the talk that soccer will take over this country someday as a spectator sport.  No it won't, but it has been the kicking the competitions ass as a youth sport for years. We know all the pitfalls for it in this country, lack of scoring, not our game, lack of scoring, even our best players are overseas playing not in the MLS (not a real estate code/name for US pro soccer league), and of course the lack of scoring.  Maybe if goals were worth 7 points casual fans would get more excited about it? Better yet who cares!  Just enjoy it if you do and ignore if you don't.  Did I mention the lack of scoring?

Final thought on the REAL story of the 2010 World Cup.....the noise!  Yes that constant bee buzzing sound or is cicada's coming out to mate?  It is actually called a vuvuzela, which is a plastic trumpet that has become the unofficial sound track of the World Cup. Despite the whining about the noise, World Cup organizers are refusing to ban them from matches.  This decision comes despite mounting pressure from players, broadcasters and even some fans who wanted it to stop.  Here is the thing everyone needs to remember.  This is South Africa's World Cup and the vuvuzela, named after the Zulu word for "noise," is considered a symbol of South African heritage, its sound a show of support for the country's team, Bafana Bafana.  So in other words get over it or use your mute button or do what I do drink a lot of beer and take three Advil.

Happy 40th Anniversary Now Get Out

You gotta hand it to the Gore's they know how to celebrate a wedding anniversary.  I mean Divorce has now replaced the Ruby as the 40th anniversary gift (Ok before my guy friends say how would he know Ruby is for your 40th? I looked it up on line you know the thing Al Gore invented).  Al and Tipper (what kind of name is Tipper? Was she a Bad Tipper? It is actually a nickname) could become trendsetters for the new 40th anniversary gift....FREEDOM!  The odd thing is all the reports over the year's claimed the couple was living a "Fairy Tale" Marriage and yet here it ends.  Meanwhile...yes I'm going there... Bill and Hillary Clinton are still "together."  That's right the guy who got the Lewinsky in the Oral excuse me Oval Office is still with his wife, but his former Vice President the guy who appeared to be the one with the morals is splitting with the love of his life. 

Once again we should be reminded the moral to this story is no different than the Tiger Woods Story or "Wide Stance" Larry Craig Story.  Just because someone is portrayed one way publicly does not necessarily make it reality.  The oddest thing about this Gore split up is the way they are portraying Tipper as the fun one of the couple.  Wait a minute!  This is the same woman that wanted to censor all of my favorite "Hair Bands" back in the 80s.  You call that fun?  Which really speaks to how Big a Bore Al Gore must be. Divorce is sad, but let's assume the Gore's know what is best for the Gore's and not lose too much sleep over this thing.  I mean its not like they have a baby at home and are living paycheck to paycheck.  They just bought a damn mansion down the street from Oprah for goodness sakes! 

I am rarely surprised by the media and yes I'm sometimes one of them, but I am surprised this story has so many struggling for words.  I mean why is this separation so tragic?  Gore is no longer in office and to this point no sorrid tales of a third party or worse someone in the Tea Party (Tea Bagger...really great nickname).  The only way this becomes a tragic story is if we find out Al is living a double life like Tiger Woods or God forbid Tipper is on the now infamous Tiger list of conquests (not that big of stretch if you have seen the Perkins waitress Tiger took home on a few occassions).  I just hope this is not some John Edwards kind of story, where it turnes out a  former Gore aide is going to release a book and has possession of some sex tape or a love child OR worse Tipper in a sex tape with a former lead singer of a hair band.  I just don't think the American public could handle it.